Updated August 2026
What drives the cost of a water well
Well drilling on Vancouver Island is priced per foot, and the number of feet is not knowable before drilling. What is knowable is the range: published medians run from about 13 m in the sand and gravel at Cassidy to about 80 m in the bedrock under Nanoose Hill. The Regional District of Nanaimo rebates up to $650 per wellhead and half of water testing costs to $350.
Updated August 2026
This page carries no headline price, for a straightforward reason: no Vancouver Island well driller publishes one. What follows is what actually moves the number, what the published records say about depth and yield in each part of the district, and what can be claimed back afterwards.
A water well is a hole drilled and cased into an aquifer, sealed at the surface, and finished with a cap and an identification plate so that what enters it is only what the formation gives.
For a full breakdown of the work itself, see what drilling a new well involves.
Why no Island driller quotes a flat price
Drilling is sold by the foot because the depth is a property of the ground, not of the job. A driller who quotes a total before drilling is either padding heavily against the worst case or guessing. What a quote can honestly contain is a rate, an estimate of depth drawn from records for that aquifer, and a clear statement of what happens if the hole goes deeper than expected.
The five things that move the number
First, depth to water, which the aquifer largely dictates. Second, depth to bedrock, since overburden and rock are drilled differently. Third, casing — length driven by how much unconsolidated material sits above the rock. Fourth, whether a screen is needed, which applies in sand and gravel and not in bedrock. Fifth, access: whether a rig can reach the site, and what it costs to get there on an island or a steep lot.
What the records say about depth and yield
Every well drilled since the reporting requirement has a public record, and the aquifer mapping reports summarise them. The table below is the honest version of a price estimate for this region — not dollars, but the depth and yield you are buying into before anyone starts.
| Area | Aquifer | Type | Median depth | Median yield |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cedar & Yellow Point | 162 | Bedrock | About 50 m | About 2 US gal/min |
| Cassidy | 161 | Sand and gravel | About 13 m | About 20 US gal/min |
| Nanoose Hill | 218 | Bedrock | About 80 m | About 5 US gal/min |
| Errington & Coombs | 220 | Bedrock | About 60 m | About 3 US gal/min |
| Gabriola Island | 709 | Bedrock | About 105 ft | About 4.5 US gal/min |
| Parksville & Coombs | 216 | Sand and gravel | About 36 m | About 25 US gal/min |
What the Regional District pays back
Two rebate programmes apply to private well owners in the district. Neither touches the drilling itself, and both are worth claiming.
| Rebate | Covers | Maximum |
|---|---|---|
| Wellhead upgrade | Well cap, casing stick-up, surface seal, well closure | Up to $650 per wellhead |
| Surface seal | Installing a compliant surface seal | $300 |
| Casing stick-up | Raising casing to the required height | $200 |
| Well closure | Decommissioning a well no longer in service | $500 |
| Well water testing | Half of lab analysis costs | $350, once per well every five years |
Rebate amounts and eligibility are published by the Regional District of Nanaimo and change without notice. Aquifer figures are medians drawn from provincial aquifer mapping reports — half of recorded wells fall on either side, and individual results vary widely within the same aquifer.
Testing and paperwork are separate lines
A pump test, a camera survey and a lab panel are priced separately from drilling because they answer different questions. Where a pumping test is required under the Groundwater Protection Regulation it must be performed or directly supervised by a professional with competency in hydrogeology, and that professional's interpretation is part of what is being bought.
The cheapest money on a well
Wellhead work is the least expensive intervention available and the one most often deferred. A cap that no longer seals, casing sitting flush with the ground, or a missing surface seal all let surface water into the well, and all three are rebated. Testing costs a fraction of a pump replacement and tells you whether the pump is the problem.
Cost follows two other questions — what a test costs to run, what the Province requires and drilling at Errington.
A rate per foot and an honest depth range beat a flat number that was never going to hold. To get both in writing, ask for a written quote.